Two-wheel boat trailer



June 29, 1948.

B. o. sANFoRD Irwo WHEEL BOMI TRAILER Filed June 2.1, 1946 2Sheets-S'heetl mvENToR.

June 29, 1948. B. o. sANFoRD Tifo WHEEL. BOAT TRAILER 2 Sheets'h-She'pt2 Filed Jupe 21, 1946 QI. PYJ

0m MMM Patented `une 29, I.1948

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TWO-WHEEL BOAT TRAILER Burpee Owen Sanford;Braintree, Mass. Application June 21, 1946, Serial No. 678,439

2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in twowheel trailers of the typedesigned to carry boats along a high'way; and has as one of its majorobjectsto provide means in such a trailer to carry a heavy boat having abroad beam, the said means pertaining to the spring construction in thetrailer.

Another object of this invention is to divide the pulling strain on thetrailer by providing spaced superimposed draft tongues, th'e saidtongues being slidable.

Another object of this invention is to provide a trailer with a floorsuitable for Vcarrying dulfel bagsand gear pertaining to the boat, thesaid oor being constructed for dumping.,

, Another object of this invention is to provide a a trailer constructedfor heavy duty, and which is substantially demountable in all its parts.

Another` object of this invention is to provide this trailer with a handoperated winch and cables for securing the boat to the trailer in such amanner as to take full advantage of the buoyancy of the boat when thetrailer is being withdrawn from the water.

For these objects and other objects that shall `become evident, I shallnow describe and show,

first in limited form, and then in full detail, the construction andcombinations of my improvements and th'e manner in which the same is tobe 'made and used.

It is well known that when a boat is loaded on a trailer in preparationfor hauling the boat out ofthe water that the rst strain on the trailerdraft tongue puts a severe strain on the trailer axle, this isespecially true if the wheels have sunk into mud or happen to be behindraised rocks on the bottom. Thus I have experienced the mainlongitudinal member of a trailer being torn apart from the axle due tothe strain in such a situation.

According to my present improvement, I provide spaced superimposedlongitudinal members lthe means of securing the springs on most trailershas left much to be desired. My present imfprovement provides lforvertical springs which are 2 protected in their motion as well as guidedin their motion, and which also are adjustable.

Referring now to the drawings, Fig. 1 is a plan view of my improvedtrailer, Fig, 2 is a side elevation of the trailer, and Fig. 3 is a rearelevation. In Figs. 1 and 2 is shown a boat of the heavy lifeboat typemounted on the trailer in readiness for hauling along a highway or, inreadiness for being launched into the water; and in which gures,respectively is shown the upper, vertically-spaced longitudinal member land the lower longitudinal member 2, the said members being tubular andextendable.

Again, referring to Figures 1 and 2, respectively, is shown a tubulararch member 3 secured at its mid-point to, and transverse of the saidlongitudinal member l. Further is shown one of the legs 4 of an invertedarch member comprising the axle and two vertically directed legs, thesaid legs being adapted for slidable engagement and securement in thedependent legs of the said arch member 3. Now further is shown thetrailer wheels 5 mounted on the said axle 6.

Further in Figures 1 and 2 is shown a trailer floor 'l having hinges la,la secured to the said axle 6 providing means to raise the rightextremity of the said floor for the purpose of dumping the floor.Further is shown a winch' 8 and forward cables 9, 9 for raising the saidtrailer floor l, and is shown the alternate positions of the forwardcables in dotted lines at 9a, 9a, the said alternate position of thecables shown supporting the right extremity of the boat, and is shownthe rear cables 9, 9 supporting the left extremity of the boat.

In the operation of my improved trailer I wish to show that in the steps0f taking a boat out of the water, the cables are fully extended intotwo wide loops, the trailer is then backed into the water for a distancesuficient to permit the boat to float into the trailer and over thetrailer floor to the position shown in Fig. 2. The cables are now takenup until they are just taut, whereby thecables gently guide the boat andpull it slowly along in its position in the trailer as the trailer isnow slowly pulled toward the edge of the water. At this point there isvery little tension on either the cables or the axle. As the trailer isdrawn to the shore, it can be seen that the cables would ordinarilybecome more taut and greater weight would be put on the axle of thetrailer; the winch, however, is permitted to let out cable as thetrailer comes up relative to the boat; thereby permitting the fastestadjustment of the boat to the trailer, and permitting the min- 3 imumnecessary weight on the axle of the trailer at all times.

Again, I have experienced great difficulty in unloading heavy boats ofthe life-boat type from trailers. In unloading my improved trailer,referring to Fig. 2, all the cables are loosened and the longitudinalmember l including the winch 8 are raised by hand by upwardly adjustingthe slidable legs of the arch member 3 and the downwardly projectingforward leg' of the said longitudinal member i. The right -extremity ofthe hinged trailer licor 1 is now raised by means of the said winch, andthe boat may be made to slide gently from the trailer,

I shall now show in full detail and' describe in full detail theconstruction and combinations; E my invention and the manner inwhich thesame. is to be made and used.

In Figures 1 and 2 is shown, respectively; the usual means for extendingthe members oi the frame; and is shown theupper longitudinal mem.- ber lcomprising a. tubular memberV hayingaplurality of. holes. la,v idadaptedfor alignment in similar holes in the fsorwardmember ic at. the rightextremity and in the` arch member 3, at the left; extremity; Further.isshownl bolts lbf,y Ib adapted toVVA be passed-,into the` said alignedholes.

Further is` shown the same construction e111.- ployed to extend. thelegs oi the arch .members supportingthe wheels and isl shown. thearohmember 3. having. downwardly directed. legs, and the. inverted. archrmember l having legs. directed upwardly. Further is shown a pluralityof. holes 4a adapted for alignment with similar holes in the downwardlydirected legs of the. said arch member 3. Again. is shown a. bolt4 Lib'adapted tobe passed into the. said, a-ligned holes.

Further is shown a. right-.angle tubular member il.Y having. multipleholes ila and. Ila being adapted for alignmentv with similar -holes inthe forward tubularA member lo and` thev tubular member 2*. Further is`show-nbolts Hb and Llc adapted to be passed into the said aligned holes,respectively. Further is shown a draft tongue Haha-ving; ahole, forthepassage-ot abolt for the purpose of4 securing the trailer. to a truckor other pri-memover...

Figure 3 is a--rear elevation of my trailer, and in which figure isshown the upperl longitudinal member l, and the lowerl longitudinal,-member 2, thesaid members being vertically spaced, and isshownthearchmember 3: having downwardly directed legst,he said archmember 3, being secured tothe upper longitudinalmember l by means of abolt Ib passing thru aligned holes in. the'two saidmembers.

Againgin Figz is shdwnthe inverted arch member d" comprising theaxlefand two upwardly directed: legs, the: said axle.y and legsl beingtubular, the said legs being adapted for sliding engage.- ment withinthe downwardly vdirected legs. ci lthe arch member- 3.

Further in Fig, 3- is shown the groundfwheels, mounted' on theaxlefmemberil; Eurther is shown the trailer licor 1 having` hinges la,la secured to the said; axlemember 4. AgainA is shown the lowerlongiimdinalmember 2 secured tothe said axlemember-d by means of .albolt2b' passed thru aligned:holesin the said: member 2y and the said axlemember' ll..

Now further in. Fig. 3'l isvsbcwn c0iled=vertical .springs l2,I-2thesaidspringsfbeing positioned in the downwardly directed legs,Arespectively, of the said arclr member V3. andren. top:` of the. up-'Wldlyl direct-ed; legs, respectively; ofi the said in.-

Verted arch member 4. Further is shown multiple holes 3a. in thedownwardly directed legs of the said arch member 3; and is shown bolts3b, 3b adapted to be passed thru the said holes 3a, 3a, the said boltspreventing movement of the springs l2, l2 above the position of the saidbolts. Further is shown the forward cables 9, 9 employed to raise andlower the trailer oor, now shown in raised position.

It canA be seen therefore that, the springs of my trailer have theprotection and guidance of the downwardly directed legs of the archmember 3; further that the springs are adapted to varying loads byadjusting the said bolts in the legs of the arch member 3.

Again in 3 is shown the trailer floor l secured to the axle member bymeans of demountablehingesV lla, thesaid hinges being secured to theaxle. means of the demountable screw-bolts I4,

I4 and nuts I3, I3, respectively,

In theV operation of. my trailer, the trailer iloor may be eithermounted or demounted, and further, when the trailer has assumed the loadto be carried, the springs become compressed immediately tothe proper`size, whereupon the said'bolts may be quickly positionedabove thesprings, andthe trailer becomes properly sprung for the highwaytransport of the particular load..

I am aware that, prior to my invention, boat carrying trailers havingtubular andextendable members have been known, I therefore do not claimsuoli combinations broadly., I am aware thatprior to my invention, boatcarryingtrailers havingjtransversearch member supports asshowni, forexampleh in the, U. S'. Patent No. 2,375,754 to Ballinger, have beenknown, I thereforeV do not claim such combinations broadly;A I am awarethat prior to my. inventi'on,boa't carrying trailers havingtrai'l'erioors assliowm for example, in the U1 S; Patent No.v 2,361,951 toLivermon, have been known, I .therefore do not' claim suchcombinationsbroadly.

Obviously Ido not, wish to be limited to the exact detailsV ofconstruction as herein described and shown, as these may be variedwithin the limits of the appended. claims without departing from theconcepts of my` improvements.

I claim:

1. In a trailer. for transporting a boat,y a frame comprising a pair ofvertically spacedl longitudinal members. a. vertical member maintainingthe forward ends. of said longitudinal members in spaced relation, atransverse arch, member Supporting theupper said longitudinalmember,the, said arch member havingv its legs. directed downwardly,A a secondin vertedarch member supporting, the lower said longitudinal member and.having its legs directed. upwardly and adapted for sliding en.- gagementwithin the. downwardly directed legs of the iirst said arch member,spring, members positioned within the said downwardly directed legs and'abovethe. said upwardly directed legs, adjustable means tosecure. thesaid spring `members from upward movement, acor hinged at one,extrom-ity to the, axle portion of' thesaid inverted arch .member andhaving its other extremity adapted to` be. raised or lowered by means ofa winch` and cable., the said winch being secured' to theuppersaidllongitudinal. member, the, Said inverted arch member being.supported byia pair of ground wheels.

2.. Inv a. trailer for transportinga. boat, aframe comprising a pair ofvertically spaced longitudinal tubular members. the said members, beingextendable.. a vertical tubular member maintaining the forward ends ofsaid longitudinal members in spaced relation, a tubular transverse archmember supporting the upper said longitudinal member, the said archmember having its legs directed downwardly, a second tubular invertedarch member supporting the lower said longitudinal member and having itslegs directed upwardly and adapted for sliding engagement within thedownwardly directed legs of the rst said arch member, spring memberspositioned within the said downwardly directed legs and above the saidupwardly directed legs, adjustable means to secure the said springmembers from upward movement, a oor hinged at one extremity toy the axleportion of the said inverted arch member, the said oor adapted to bemountable or demountable from the said axle portion, the said invertedarch member being supported by a pair of ground wheels.

BURPEE OWEN SANFORD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le o1'this patent:

UNTED STATES PATENTS

